Public sector’s Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Ahmedabad-based Ranjit Buildcon Limited, which won the contract for building a new Pamban rail bridge performed bhoomi puja and launched test pile on Friday, signalling the commencement of the project.
The RVNL, which was entrusted with the prestigious project, has engaged the contract company for building the 2.2-km-long bridge, parallel to the existing bridge, which is more than a century old, at a cost of ₹246 crore. “We will complete the work within the project period of two years,” M Abdul Samadh, Project Coordinator, Ranjit Buildcon, said.
He said the test pile work was launched at the Mandapam side to assess safe load strength. The company proposed to assess three times more than the required load strength by loading one lakh sand bags, he said. The company would start the piling work from Pamban side instead of Mandapam side, he said.
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The company proposed to establish a jetty at the Pamban side, 30 meters inside the sea for carrying the equipment and machinery. “We have all machinery, including rigs, jack platforms and fountains, ready to carry out the work in full swing,” he said. The new bridge would be 30 meters away from the existing bridge at Mandapam side, 50 meters from the middle and join the existing bridge at Pamban side, he said.
The new bridge would have a sub structure for laying double track and the second line would be laid when the doubling work from Manamadurai reached the bridge, he said. The company, however, would lay two tracks at the centre span, he said. The railways has offered bonus for completing the project in two years and we are keen on getting it,” he said. The new bridge with vertical single lift span (truss type girder) would have 99 spans and come up at an elevation of three metres, officials said.
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Meanwhile, the Traditional Fishermen Federation has demanded that the new bridge should be built at an elevation of 10 metres for free movement of fishing vessels.